Background to this inspection
Updated
24 March 2023
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
This inspection was undertaken by an inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 27 February 2023 and ended on 3 March 2023. We visited the location’s office 27 February 2023.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 4 people, 8 relatives and 11 staff. This included the director, the registered manager, a field care supervisor, a care coordinator, an administrator and 6 care workers. We reviewed 9 people’s care records, and records relating to staff and the management of the service. We received feedback from a representative from the local authority.
Updated
24 March 2023
About the service
Caremark Sutton, Epsom & Ewell, Reigate & Banstead supports people with their personal care in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 87 people with their personal care. This included supporting people through a 6 week reablement service to assist with rehabilitation and recovery, a domiciliary care service and a 24 hour live in service. The service was supporting adults and children with a variety of needs, including those living with dementia, people with physical disabilities, people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it. As the service was supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people we have assessed the service against the ‘right support, right care, right culture guidance’.
Right Support:
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff provided any support required with medicines management, supporting people’s health and supporting them to maintain a healthy balanced diet. People received care and support in line with their needs. People were involved in their care and support was adapted as people’s care needs changed. Staff were aware of the risks to people’s safety and provided support to minimise those risks.
Right Care:
Staff promoted equality and diversity in their support for people. They understood people’s cultural needs and provided culturally appropriate care. Cultural education sessions were held to support staff to know more about different cultures and how to support people. The service also had links with the local Iman to gather further advice about how to support people in line with their faith. People received kind and compassionate care from a team of consistent care workers. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs and promoted people’s independence. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so, including working with the police on an initiative to make people feel safe living in their own homes. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. Staff turned up on time and stayed the allocated length of time to meet people’s needs.
Right Culture:
People’s quality of life was enhanced by the service’s culture of improvement and inclusivity. The service enabled people and those important to them to worked with staff to develop the service. Staff valued and acted upon people’s views. There was a governance programme in place to review the quality and safety of care delivery, identifying and making improvements where required. Staff worked with other professionals to develop the service and ensure continuous improvement. The management team created a supportive culture amongst the staff team, recognising people’s differences and how staff could work together to support each other in order to provide high quality care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was good (published 11 September 2018).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.